Degradation of sulfur mustard and sarin over hardened cement paste.

A study has been done to examine the degradation of sulfur mustard (HD) and sarin (GB) over hardened cement paste (HCP). The HCP behaved as a typical base like CaO and Ca(OH)2. The base sites over the HCP were not entirely poisoned by H2O and CO2 in air, and about 0.47 mmol/g base sites could still be evidenced by chemisorption of CO2. A large amount of water irreversibly adsorbed by HCP was experimentally demonstrated. Ten kinds of products through hydrolysis S(N)1 (C-Cl), elimination E1 or E2 (C-Cl, C-H), and addition-elimination (A-E) under the action of base sites and water from the degradation of HD over HCP were detected and identified by GC-FPD, GC-MS, and NMR approaches. Their distribution and kinds varied with time of degradation and water content Both degradation activity and distribution of products from HD were strongly determined by the strength and density of base sites and the water content in HCP. The molecules of GB adsorbed over HCP in comparison with HD could be more quickly and completely degraded into hydrolyzed products such as isopropyl methylphosphonic acid and methylphosphonic acid by adsorbed water, in comparison with HD.